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Australian geologists discover meteorite older than Earth

Monday, 11 January 2016 3:03 PM [ Last Update: Monday, 11 January 2016 5:36 PM ]

Geologists found a meteorite estimated to be 4.5 billion years old in Australia.

A meteorite fragment, estimated to be 4.5 billion years old, has been discovered in Australia.

The recovery operation involved an extensive camera system and some pretty sophisticated math, the researchers recovered the 4.5 billion year old rock just moments before heavy rains would have washed it away.

A team of Australian geologists have unearthed a 4.5 billion-year-old meteorite that appears to have traveled from farther away than Mars.

The meteorite, which fell to Earth this past November, was witnessed by a number of locals. It was spotted falling into mud in a remote part of Lake Eyre in South Australia.

The researchers say the object is a chondrite or stony meteorite that likely emerged during the early formation of the solar system more than 4.5 billion years ago.

Researchers say studying the meteorite allows them to look at the chemical composition of the solar system in its infancy. They believe the rock came from somewhere between Mars and Jupiter.

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